Seat

ABSTRACT

A seat includes an elongate ground engageable support 11, an elongate stabilizer 12 pivotably connected at one end to one end of the support, a seat 10 secured relative to the stabilizer or the support adjacent to the one end thereof, and a lock for releasably locking the stabilizer in a first position in which it is substantially co-extensive with the support and in a second position in which it extends at an angle to the support and forward of the seat. The stabilizer includes, at a position removed from the seat, a leg abutment 20 for making contact with the front of a seated user&#39;s leg.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a seat and more particularly to a seat whichis easily transportable.

Conventionally seats are in the form of chairs or stools having three ormore legs for supporting a seating member in a stable seating position.Shooting sticks having a single elongate ground engageable support and apair of outwardly foldable seating members at the upper end of theelongate support are also known, but these are neither particularlycomfortable nor particularly stable.

It is also known from my British Patent Specification No. GB 2211725B toprovide a seat formed as an integral plastics moulding and comprising aseating member, a ground engageable support depending from the seatingmember, the seating member alone being incapable of maintaining theseating member in a stable seating position, and a stabilizer. Thestabilizer projects forwards of the seating member and includes, at aposition removed from the seating member, a leg abutment for makingcontact with the front of a seated user's leg at or above the kneejoint. This seat is more comfortable and stable than shooting sticks butsuffers from the drawbacks that it is expensive to make and relativelydifficult for a user to carry.

According to the present invention there is provided a seat comprisingelongate ground engageable support means, elongate stabilizer meanspivotably connected at one end to one end of the support means, aseating member secured relative to the stabilizer means or the supportmeans at or adjacent to said one end thereof, and means for releasablylocking the stabilizer means in a first position in which it isco-extensive or substantially co-extensive with the elongate supportmeans and in a second position in which it extends at an angle to thesupport means and forwards of the seating member, the stabilizer meansincluding, at a position removed from the seating member, leg abutmentmeans for making contact with the front of a seated user's leg.

Preferably, the seating member is secured relative to the stabilizermeans but it could be secured relative to the support means particularlyif a slot is provided in the seating member for the stabilizer means topass through.

Preferably, the stabilizer means is adapted to extend between a seateduser's legs.

Preferably, the leg abutment means is adapted to make contact with thefront of both legs of a seated user at or above the knee joints.

Preferably, the support means is pivotable and, to a limited extent,slidable relative to the stabilizer means and the releasable lockingmeans, preferably, comprises sockets (or projections) on the stabilizermeans, which sockets (or projections) can be selectively engaged by thesupport means.

Conveniently, the lower end of the support means is provided with aground engageable spike covered by a removable cover having a non-slipbase.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way ofexample, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view showing one embodiment of a seat according to thepresent invention, in a first position;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the seat shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the seat shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the seat shown in FIG. 1, in a second position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line V--V of FIG. 2showing one embodiment of the releasable locking means between theground engageable support and the stabilizer on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line VI--VI of FIG. 4also showing the releasable locking means between the ground engageablesupport and the stabilizer on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken alongthe line VII--VII of FIG. 4 and showing a removable cover over theground spike, and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line VII--VII of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings, the seat shown therein comprises a seatingmember 10, a ground engageable support in the form of a single tubularleg 11, and a stabilizer 12.

The seating member 10 is in the form of a plastics moulding and issecured to a hollow bracket 13 at one end of the stabilizer 12.

The ground engageable support 11 is pivotally connected, at a positionadjacent to its upper end, to the bracket 13 by a pivot pin 14.

The tubular leg 11 is closed at its lower end by a ground engageableplate 15 having an upstanding skirt portion 15a which receives the lowerend of the leg 11 as a tight push fit. A ground spike 16 is threadablyengaged with the plate 15 to extend below the lower end of the leg 11coaxially therewith. The ground spike 16 is covered by a removable cover17 having a sleeve portion 17a, a pivotable locking lever 17b and a cap17c of rubber or other non-slip material. The locking lever 17b ispivotable about a rivet 17d between the position shown in FIG. 7 inwhich it engages in an annular recess at the upper end of the groundspike 16 to lock the cover 17 on the ground spike 16 and a position inwhich it no longer engages in the annular recess so as to allow thecover 17 to be removed from the spike 16. A user can apply pressure withhis/her feet to the ground plate 15 to press the spike 16 into softground when the cover 17 is removed from the spike 16.

The stabilizer 12 includes the bracket 13 and also comprises a singletubular member 19 and a cross-member 20 secured to the end of thetubular member 19 remote from the bracket 13.

The cross-member 20, which forms a leg abutment, extends to each side ofthe tubular member 19 by an equal distance and is contoured so as to becomfortable when pressed against the legs of a user.

Releasable locking means (to be described in more detail hereinafter)are provided between the upper end of the ground engageable support 11and the bracket 13 to releasably lock the stabilizer 12 in a firstposition in which it is co-extensive or substantially co-extensive withthe ground engageable support 11, as shown in FIG. 4, and in a secondposition in which it extends at an angle, typically an angle of about115°, to the ground engageable support 11 and forwards of the seatingmember 10, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

The releasable locking means between the support 11 and stabilizer 12 isshown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The support 11 is pivotable and, to a limited extent, slidable relativeto the bracket 13. This limited slidable movement is provided by twoelongate slots 23 in the support 11 which slots receive the pivot pin 14which is secured between opposite sides of the bracket 13. The upper endof the support 11 is engageable in one of two sockets 24 and 25 in thebracket 13 and is urged towards such an engaged position by acompression spring 26 acting between a spring seat 27 secured to theupper end of the support 11 and a pivot block 28 which is pivotableabout the pivot pin 14 but which, unlike the support 11, is not slidablerelative to the pivot pin 14. Thus, when the support 11 is pulled out ofone of the sockets 24, 25 the spring 26 is compressed. A curved track 29is provided between the two sockets 24 and 25 to guide the upper end ofthe support from one socket to the other. When the upper end of thesupport 11 reaches the other socket, the spring 26 urges the end of thesupport 11 into the other socket. The pivot block 28 also serves tospread side load over a length of the support tube 11.

It will be readily appreciated that the ground engageable support 11 isalone incapable of maintaining the seating member 10 in a stable seatingposition. However, in an operative position, a user is seated on theseating member 10 with the tubular member 19 extending between theuser's legs and the cross-member 20 making contact with the front of theuser's legs at or above the knee joints. To arrive at this position theuser may start by holding the forward end of the stabilizer 12 in onehand with the support 11 to the rear in contact with the ground. Theuser would then pass one leg around the rear of the support 11 and moveinto a seated position coming into contact with the seating member 10and at the same time lowering the cross-member 20 onto his/her legs ator just above the knee. The user's feet may then be positioned slightlyapart and in a position affording most comfort. Once seated most of theuser's weight is supported by the support 11 but the remaining weight istransferred to the user's legs to provide stability. To leave the seat,the user is able to take hold of the forward end of the stabilizer 12and stand up.

When the seat is in its inoperative position, shown in FIG. 4, it takesthe form of a walking stick and can be easily carried by a user. It canalso be readily transformed into a seat, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, whenrequired.

When the seat is in its operative position, shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, atable or tools (not shown) can be placed on or attached to the tubularmember 19 or the cross-member 20.

The seat described above has a stabilizer which includes a singletubular member 19 which is adapted to extend between a user's legs.However, the stabilizer could be in the form of one or more tubularmembers which extend to one or both sides of a user's legs and whichis/are provided with abutment means at positions removed from theseating member 10 for making contact with one or both of the user'slegs.

Other modifications will be apparent to a person skilled in the artwithout departing from the scope of the invention. For example, theseating member 10 could be secured to the leg 11 instead of to thestabilizer 12. In this case, the seating member 10 will probably need tobe provided with a slot in order for the stabilizer 12 to passtherethrough. Also, the leg 11 could be adjustable in length. In thiscase, the leg could comprise two telescopic members and means forreleasably locking the two telescopic members in any one of a pluralityof positions. Also, a wheel or ski could be connected to the lower endof the leg 11.

I claim:
 1. A seat comprising elongate ground engageable support means(11), elongate stabilizer means (12) pivotably connected at one end toone end of the support means, a seating member (10) secured to at leastone of the stabilizer means and the support means adjacent to said oneend thereof, and means for releasably locking the stabilizer means in afirst position in which it is substantially co-extensive with theelongate support means and in a second position in which it extends atan angle to the support means and forwards of the seating member, thestabilizer means including, at a position removed from the seatingmember, leg abutment means (20) for making contact with the front of aseated user's leg.
 2. A seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seatingmember (10) is secured to the stabilizer means (12).
 3. A seat asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the stabilizer means (12) is adapted toextend between a seated user's legs.
 4. A seat as claimed in claim 1,wherein the leg abutment means (20) is adapted to make contact with thefront of both legs of a seated user at or above the knee joints.
 5. Aseat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support means (11) is slidablerelative to the stabilizer means (12).
 6. A seat as claimed in claim 5,wherein the releasable locking means comprises two sockets (24,25) onthe stabilizer means, which sockets can be selectively engaged by thesupport means (11).
 7. A seat as claimed in claim 6, wherein the supportmeans is urged by spring means (26) into engagement with one of thesockets.
 8. A seat as claimed in claim 6, wherein a curved track (29) isprovided to guide the support means between the two holders.
 9. A seatas claimed in claim 1, wherein an end of the support means opposite theone end thereof is provided with a ground engageable spike (16) coveredby a removable cover (17) having a non-slip base.